Chapter 245

Almara’s Pov

Cathy and I weave through the castle, barely missing rubble crumbling off from the stony walls. We leap over counters, using everything we have in us to catapult ourselves past knocked over statues of gargoyles and shredded velvet furniture.

“Catch!” Cathy calls out and reflexively I snatch a jagged shard of ceramic in my hand. I recognize it from a broken pot on the ground. Then out of the corner of my eye I see something else flying at me, though I don’t catch it this time, I duck.

Upon standing up, I see a familiar straighten itself out. It turns its wretched body towards me, it’s something like a pig with wings. It’s fat, yet it’s joints jut out at protruding angels. It begins snorting at me, showing teeth the shape of daggers. I realize now why Cathy gave me the makeshift weapon.

Thunder erupts from outside and as though using that as a cue, the familiar launches itself at me and I meet it in midair, though I plunge the shard into its side. The familiar’s eyes widen with shock and we fall to the ground. I keep the weapon plunged into its side and use the gravity of the fall to further wedge it into its ribs.

There’s a subtle crunching sound and I yank the dagger out and take off, letting the familiar bleed out.

We come up to a broken window and without further consideration, we leap towards us. “Hurry!” I shout at Cathy as I notice a crack ziplining up the wall and spread like a spider web across the ceiling. I don’t stay to watch what happens next.

We throw ourselves out the window and brace ourselves for impact. Good thing Lily is the one enduring this, because my weak human body would be crushed a while back. Still, the ground is a long way off and I know the landing is going to send a shock rippling through my body.

As soon as we hit the dirt, I tuck and roll. Cathy does the same. The only marks to show for our escape is a few scratches from bit of rocks that hit us as we were falling away from the deteriorating building.

Once I gather my bearings, I still run. Far away from the building knowing at any moment it’s all going to come down and either the rocks and stones will crush anyone and everything in its path, or we’ll be swallowed up by the dust of its after effect.

Though I can only get so far because I run onwards, something holds me back. It’s like a physical push that requires more strength than I can give at this moment to keep moving on.

The air is thin, my lungs are being squeezed of every drop of oxygen only to be left sucking and gasping for more air. My legs shake and wobble as I try to take another step forward, eventually collapsing to the ground. What is going on?

I look back and see Cathy clutching her chest, doubled over and heaving. At least I’m not the only one affected by this oppressive force. It’s like a hand has reached into my body and is squeezing my insides.

Others around me, vampires and wolves, fall to the ground, eyes bulging, mouths gaping open trying to swallow any bit of air. Panic starts to rise in me and I try to keep it down. This must be what Delfino was talking about when he said the familiars were doing something to the atmosphere.

Delfino. My babies. The panic comes on full force and I claw my way to my hind les and trudge forward. I will die trying to save my children. I push back the image of their little lungs not being able to swell with oxygen.

Something forces my legs to give out. Maybe it’s the lack of oxygen in my blood, but they go numb and I’m back on the ground. I use my arms to crawl. I have to get to my kids. I let nothing else matter.

I grab onto the legs of those splayed out in front of me, not sure if they’re dead or alive and use their weight to hike myself up if only to be a foot closer to what I hope is the correct direction of my babies. I can’t even smell their scent because of the little oxygen to take in.

The more I inch on, the harder it becomes to breathe and I can’t tell if it’s because of the exerted energy or because I’m nearing the source that’s sucking the air out from my life force. Maybe both.

It suddenly becomes a very real possibility that I might die. I look around and see purple faces, some choking for air, but many gone very still- perhaps focusing on only taking incremental small breaths hoping that whatever this is must eventually pass.

Or perhaps this is the familiars final tactic in killing all of us, though even in my oxygen-deprived brain, I know that doesn’t make sense. The familiars want to rule over us, to be in charge. That can’t happen if we’re all dead. Then again, maybe they’re sick of us and their need for us is no longer relevant when compared to their anger.

My time of contemplation comes to an end when the open sky before me begins to rip. I think I’m hallucinating, but the image doesn’t go away- in fact, it becomes clearer.

It’s like a zipper opening up a jacket. The sky morphs into a jagged line before splitting open.

What starts as a black slit in the sky quickly becomes a black hole as the gap widens. It’s like a mouth of darkness opening it’s jaws ready to devour anything near it.

I can’t see anything past this black domineering shape, it’s commanding and obliterating all light that enters into it. The little air and light left around the black hole caves toward it, casting the appearance of the landscape to be spinning in slow motion, bending to the will of this black hole.

It’s mesmerizing and terrifying. Just as my eyes begin to fully process what’s before me, a cacophony of screeches, growls, and cries, shoot out from the sky. Something hits the back of my head and my face plants into the dirt.

When I shakily lift my head, I see herds of familiars rushing to the black hole. I keep my head low and watch as mangled bodies fly over me and disappear into the black hole, slowly becoming smaller until completely gone.

Some cackling with joy, others using their unique way to sound joy. Repulsion takes the place of the panic. Blood drips from some of the injured, others purposely fly close for one last taunting of those pinned to the ground.

“We’ll be back!” One shouts and others join in a whooping of laughter and agreement. “This isn’t the end!” another yelps. I know perhaps I should be concerned by their threats of return, but all that comes is a relief.

Each familiar that enters the black hole, is one familiar out of our dimension. What seems like forever, the last of the familiars finally make their way into the black hole and it begins to close.

Like a zipper closing a jacket, the widening circle, begins to form like an oval, until eventually a vertical line and then gone. At once the air comes rushing back.

I gasp, the sounds of others choking and coughing as blissful oxygen returns to our lungs. I take several deep breaths before being able to stand back up shakily. I instantly get lightheaded, but force myself to center. We all look around, unsure of what to do next.

I think each vampire waits for a wolf to fight and vice versa. Soon enough, the eyes of my wolves settle on me. As their Luna, they want to know what to do next. After all, the Hurricane Pack is the reason they’re here.

I stand up straight, assuming the position of power they bestow on me. I suck in another long breath and in a voice as loud and powerful as I can manage, I give them my command. The only one that matters. “Find my family.”